A dying tree is roaring back to life as a bear sculpture at Buddy Todd Park in Oceanside this week.

The 50-foot pine tree was infested with bark beetle and was in an awkward spot. It required frequent pruning so its branches didn’t interfere with San Diego Gas & Electric power lines near the park’s entrance on Mesa Drive.

Joel Menard, the city’s parks supervisor, said he approached John Mahoney — a chainsaw artist whose family owns West Coast Arborists — about doing something with the tree.

“I thought it’s a good, fat tree, might as well make into a bear,” Menard said Wednesday morning.

Mahoney began working on the sculpture last week, removing branches and trimming away growth to leave a towering stump.

On Wednesday morning, he filled about four different chainsaws with gas before climbing on a cherry picker to continue shaping the bear.

Mahoney — a 6-foot, 4-inch, 300-pound man with a long beard — jokingly called the half-finished sculpture a “self portrait” and said he was happy that he was asked to do it.